Malaria Kills
Malaria
is a disease caused by the blood parasite
Plasmodium, which is transmitted by
mosquitoes. Infected humans experience
flu-like symptoms that can result in coma
and death. Malaria, from the Medieval
Italian words mala aria or “bad air,”
infects more than 500 million people a year
and kills more than a million— one person
dies about every 30 seconds. The disease is
particularly devastating in Africa, where it
is a leading killer of children. In addition
to being home to the deadliest strain of
malaria and the mosquito best equipped to
transmit the disease, many areas in Africa
lack the proper infrastructure and resources
to fight back.The disease is a self-perpetuating problem with large-scale impact on societies and economies. Malaria accounts for up to half of all hospital admissions and outpatient visits in Africa. In addition to the burden on the health system, malaria illness and death cost Africa approximately $12 billion a year in lost productivity. The effects permeate almost every sector. Malaria increases school absenteeism, decreases tourism, inhibits foreign investment, and even affects the type of crops that are grown.
Malaria is Both Preventable and Treatable.
Malaria is both a preventable and treatable disease. It can be prevented by giving families and individuals insecticide-treated bed nets to sleep under and taking steps to kill mosquitoes where they breed and when they enter houses to feed at night. At the same time, anti-malarial drugs such as artemisinin and other combination therapies that are widely available can treat malaria before it becomes deadly.
Malaria has been brought under control and even eliminated in many parts of Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Yet in Africa, with increasing drug resistance and struggling health systems, malaria infections have actually increased during the last three decades.
Bed Nets
Despite the magnitude of the problem,
there is a simple and cost-effective
solution to prevent malaria deaths. For just
$10, we can purchase a bed net, deliver it
to a family, and explain its use. Bed nets
work by creating a protective barrier
against mosquitoes at night, when the vast
majority of transmissions occur. A family of
four can sleep under an insecticide-treated
bed net, safe from malaria, for up to four
years. The benefits of bed nets extend even
further than the family. When enough nets
are used, the insecticide used to deter
mosquitoes makes entire communities
safer—including even those individuals who
do not have nets.
Although $10 for a bed net may not sound like much, the cost makes them out of reach for most people at risk of malaria, many of whom survive on less than $1 a day. Nets are a simple, life-saving solution, but we need your help to provide them to those in need.
The People of the United Methodist Church
The People of the
United Methodist Church
have been in mission
across Africa for more
than 160 years. The
denomination’s work in
the area of malaria
prevention makes it a
natural partner for
Nothing but Nets.
Several global agencies
of The United Methodist
Church will launch
supporting campaigns to
educate and raise money
for bed nets.Malaria kills more than 1 million children every year. For $10 you can buy a net that will be distributed to a family along with information on how to use it. The Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church has pledged to raise $1 million by the end of 2008. All nets purchased through our conference office will be sent to aid the people of Cote d'Ivoire. Additionally, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is matching every Nothing But Nets donation dollar-for-dollar, so if you buy one, you’re really buying two.
Please make out your checks to:
Texas Annual Conference
And send them to:
Fiscal Office / Nothing But Nets
Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
5215 Main Street
Houston, TX
77002
Thank you!
God bless
you as you
share in
order to
save a life!
